Classics in Australia is as old as the University of Sydney, where John Woolley, the first Professor of Classics, was appointed in 1852. There is a distinguished tradition of Ancient Greek and Latin studies in Australia, and Australian classical scholars continue to make their mark in the international world of classical philology.

History of Kudos

Kudos grew out of a group led by then Professor of Classics at the University of Sydney, Kevin Lee, whose main purpose with the group was to finds ways of raising funds from the corporate sector to support the Classics department at the University of Sydney. After his sudden death in May 2001, the group continued to meet in order to establish formal structures for supporting Greek and Latin studies in Australian educational institutions in general. Kudos has also been active in approaching educational institutions and concerned individuals, talking to Australian and international Hellenists and Latinists about the needs of their disciplines and negotiating collaborative projects with academic institutions.

The Ancillary Fund of the Kudos Foundation has Deductible Gift Recipient status – that is, benefactors can lawfully claim donations as tax deductions – and can channel donations to established charitable institutions such as universities.

The Kudos Foundation eventually intends to establish and build up a Permanent Fund as a base from which income can be generated to support the objectives of the Foundation.

Kudos is the only charity in Australia dedicated to the support of Ancient Greek and Latin as such.

Aims

The constitutional aims of the Kudos Foundation are:

1) to raise money for the teaching in Australia of Ancient Greek and Latin;
2) to support and encourage research and scholarship in Australia in all aspects of classical studies;
3) to maintain in individual places of learning in Australia established traditions of excellence in classical studies.

In each case Kudos aims to supply support, and to negotiate the support of the relevant academic institution, for worthwhile projects which the institution might not be able to justify on the usual calculus of Equivalent Full Time Student Units or other “business activity indicators”.

Significant projects

Significant Kudos projects have included the Kevin Lee Lectureship, which ran successfully at the University of Sydney for four years from 2004. Kudos and the University shared the financial burden of this position equally. The Kevin Lee Lecturer was Dr Emma Gee. Second was the Online Papyrological Teaching Materials Project at Macquarie University, which commenced in 2008. Third was the Kevin Lee Fellowship at the University of Sydney, which ran from 2009. The Kevin Lee Fellow was Dr Sebastiana Nervegna, an internationally renowned expert on Menander.